Tautology in the Resource-Based View and the Implications of Externally Determined Resource Value: Further Comments

Abstract

We counter Barney's challenges and reaffirm the tautology of the elemental business-level resource-based “view” (RBV). We develop a mathematical representation of the RBV as a first step toward formalizing its statements. We then explore the implications of our assertion (and Barney's agreement) that resource value is indeed determined outside of the RBV.